Parcel subcription scam

A parcel notification with a payment request for a small fee requires your credit card details.

Victims of this scam receive a fake parcel notification with a link that leads to a fraudulent page designed to trap them into a subscription. The message either prompts you to enter your credit card details or to activate a service on your phone via a text message. The messages are made to look like they come from well-known parcel services such as Swiss Post, DPD or DHL. If you have given the scammers your credit card details, contact your credit card company immediately.

• Specific measures

  • If you provided credit card details, contact your credit card company immediately to have the card blocked.
  • If you have paid by mobile phone, contact your mobile phone provider and have them deactivate the service you have subscribed to.
  • The State Secretariat for Economic Affairs (SECO) recommends sending a registered letter to the provider immediately after discovering the error, in which you challenge the contract on the grounds of error and fraudulent misrepresentation. The letter should include at least the following: «I have been misled by your website. I therefore contest any contract that may have been concluded on the grounds of error and fraudulent misrepresentation.»

• Preventive measures

  • Ignore parcel notifications that claim you have to pay a fee.
  • If in doubt, and if you really are expecting a parcel, contact the relevant parcel delivery company and ask.
  • Check your credit card transactions regularly. This will enable you to take immediate action through your credit card company in the event of fraudulent payments.
  • Have added-value service numbers blocked.

• How the NCSC can help

  • Your report via the online form helps the NCSC identify trends. This makes it possible for the NCSC to raise public awareness in a targeted way.
  • In cases where well-known Swiss brands are being misused, the NCSC informs the hosting provider and the registrar of the website in question. That way, they can take the website down as quickly as possible. This is done on an informal basis. The NCSC has no means of compelling the operators of such sites to take them down.

• Further Information

  State Secretariat for Economic Affairs: Article and brochure «Beware of Internet scams!»

  Federal Office of Communications (OFCOM): Information on short numbers for SMS and MMS services

  Foundation for Consumer Protection (in German)